It seems that more and more people are starting to jump on the broccoli band wagon. Currently there seem to be new articles, news stories and scientific studies outlining the cruciferous vegetable's health benefits almost every day.

But the funny thing is, and I bet a lot of you were the same, when I was growing up I couldn't stand the stuff!

Now Now Kids, Eat Your Greens

It seems funny now, but when I was a boy I used to try as hard as I could NOT to eat the stuff. But as I've grown older, and wiser, it's become one of my favorite vegetables.

But I know that for a lot of people, it might not have been as easy to forgive and forget where this veg is concerned. But I'm here to say that it is time to give it another go.

If there is one thing that I've learned while I've been studying fat burning foods, it's that the more you understand the foods you eat, the better your choices become. So here are some cool facts about the green stuff that'll turn you into a huge fan.

Believe it or not, broccoli contains as much calcium as a glass of milk. And we all know about raw dairy's effectiveness as a fat fighter.

Now that very fact alone was enough to make my eyebrows reach for the ceiling. But that's not the only amazing feat. Broccoli actually contains more vitamin C than an orange. And 1 medium spear has 3 times the fiber of a slice of wheat bran bread!

The great thing about all of these extra nutrients, is that they make your body work harder to break them down, thus increasing your metabolism and burning fat. But all of this doesn't come at the expense of higher calories; this is a low-calorie food.

A good tip if you want to lose belly fat really quickly is to replace the grains and "white" carbohydrates in your diet with cruciferous veg. Or even better, swap out the fried foods for some of the green stuff for rapid weight loss.

Does Broccoli Fight Cancer?

The complete list of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants found in broccoli is a little daunting, but I will attempt to list as many here as possible:

Although a lot of the nutrients listed above might not mean a lot to you, a combination of these guys means that 3 portions of leafy greens per week significantly reduces the risk of stomach cancer. And stomach cancer is the fourth most common cancer world wide.

It's good to know then, that broccoli doesn't just stop with stomach cancer. The natural chemicals it contains also helps fight hormonal cancers such as breast and prostate, and colon and other cancers too. You'll also find these anti-cancer chemicals in cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts (I've never learned to love the sprouts!). One of the most potent anti-cancer, natural chemicals is sulforaphane. This is 10 times more common in broccoli sprouts vs mature broccoli by the way.

But let's not just stop at cancer. A real fat burning super food would help to protect us from loads of degenerative disorders. And so it does. Here's a full list:

One of the reasons that stubborn belly fat has become such a big problem is the presence of estrogenic compounds in our diet.

These estrogenic compounds (xenoestrogens) come from the pesticides, herbicides and hormones that are sprayed onto our fruit and veg, and fed to the animals that we eat. Incidentally one of the biggest contributors of estrogenic compounds to our food supply is the so-called "health food", soy.

Now it doesn't matter if you are male or female, these xenoestrogens cause us to store stubborn belly fat, or hold on to the body fat we already have. So if you want to lose your belly fat then you're going to need to beat this threat, right?

Well guess what? Broccoli can help us do just that!

One of the helpful phytochemicals in cruciferous veg is indole-3-carbinol (I3C). This stuff actually helps inhibit the effects of estrogenic compounds in your diet by promoting "good" hormones and working against "bad" ones.

So there you have it. I hope I've given you enough reasons to enjoy broccoli. With so many health benefits it has to be regarded as one of the "must eat" fat burning foods.

I hope you've enjoyed this article. To discover more about Fat Burning Foods [http://www.getyourtruthaboutabsbonus.com/fat-burning-foods/list/] check out my website. I show you How To Lose Belly Fat [http://www.getyourtruthaboutabsbonus.com/fat-burning-foods/lose-belly-fat/] and the hidden junk foods that are making you fatter.